​Worldwide, almost 1 million infants die each year from respiratory distress. Respiratory muscle exhaustion is a major cause of failure in conventional n-B-CPAP therapy. These failures, which occur in half of babies receiving this therapy, often necessitate endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation that carry the risk of tissue damage and inflammation.³

The Seattle-PAP from Dräger may be a solution for such complications. The patented Seattle-PAP Bubble CPAP System is designed to create continuous positive airway pressure and pressure oscillations. The 135° angle in the submersed tubing increases the amplitude of oscillations, thus providing effects similar to high frequency oscillatory ventilation for improving gas exchange and offer more efficient respiratory support compared to other methods of non invasive respiratory support.^1,2 These oscillations are thought to lessen the work required from respiratory muscles, which would make it easier for babies to breathe.^{3, 4, 5, 6}

Regrettably, most of these casualties occur in resource-limited countries due to a lack of access of respiratory support devices commonly used in the developing world. We at Dräger take responsibility for those who can’t afford high-end technology. The Seattle-PAP has the potential to make effective respiratory support accessible to newborns anywhere in the world.

​Seattle-PAP is safe, effective and easy to use. It was designed to:
Promote infant safety with a uniquely designed pressure manifold with pressure relief valve.

• Safety tube lock to avoid unintended changes of the PEEP level.
  
• Provide comfort and optimum CPAP support to the infant due to disposable BabyFlow and BabyFlow plus interfaces complementing the system.
  
• Include funnel with the filling tube which minimises spillages.
  
• The swivel connector to the expiratory limb prevents unneccessary disconnections and pressure loss.
  
• The water trap in the expiratory limb prevents unwanted pressure peaks due to condensation in the expiratory limb⁷.
  

​The Seattle PAP has a functional design with a complete focus on the infant’s clinical needs. It is both easy to understand and use. You can:

• Easily adjust the CPAP from 4.5 to 10 cm H₂O.
  
• Quickly connect the Bubble CPAP System to your choice of BabyFlow CPAP interface solutions.
  
• In combination with BabyFlow plus you can treat patients with the needed masks and prongs.
  

​Time is of the essence in every clinical environment. For this reason, the Seattle-PAP requires minimal training to use. Caregivers can learn to use the device safely and effectively in short time, so they can focus more on the patient rather the managing bedside technology.

​Inadvertent changes of the position of the tube in the water, thus changing the CPAP level can cause serious harm to your patient. With the Seattle PAP you select your desired settings by locking the tube in the set position. This avoids accidential changes of CPAP levels and is a unique safety feature. Safety and simplicity with no need to worry.

​Prevention and control of infections is an additional factor that went into the design concept. Consequently, all components for this system are designed with single-patient use in mind, thus eliminating the risk of cross-contamination.

​Les critères de prévention et de maîtrise des infections ont également été pris en compte dans la conception de l’appareil. Toutes les pièces du dispositif sont à usage individuel afin d’éliminer les risques de contamination croisée.

​New innovations and technology should also be affordable for developing countries. Due to the simplicity of the design, the Seattle-PAP is exactly that – affordable respiratory care. This means that effective and life-saving therapy is now available to many parts of the world that did not have access before.

​¹ Mechanisms of gas transport during ventilation by highfrequency oscillation. J Appl Physiol 1984;56(3):553-563, Chang HK.

² High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation: Theory and Practical Applications, Jane Pillow, Dräger Booklet 9102693 from 2016

³ Short term evaluation of respiratory effort by premature infants supported with bubble nasal continuous airway pressure using Seattle-PAP and a standard bubble device. PLOS ONE, March 28, 2018, Stephen E. Welty, Craig G. Rusin, Larissa I. Stanberry, George T. Mandy, Alfred L. Gest, Jeremy M. Ford, Carl H. Backes, Jr, C. Peter Richardson, Christopher R. Howard, Thomas N. Hansen, Charles V. Smith

⁴ Bubble CPAP: is the noise important? An invitro study. Pediatr Res 2005;57(6):826-830. Pillow JJ, Travadi JN.

⁵ A comparison of underwater bubble CPAP with ventilator derived CPAP in premature neonates ready for extubation. Biol Neonate 1998;73(2):69-75, Lee KY, Dunn MS, Fenwick M, Shennan AT.

⁶ A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Seattle-PAP for the Respiratory Support of Premature Infants, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03085329

⁷ Effects of condensate in the exhalation limb of neonatal circuits on airway pressure during bubble CPAP.  Respir Care. 2013 Nov;58(11):1840-6. doi: 10.4187/respcare.02322. Epub 2013 Mar 12, Youngquist TM¹, Richardson CP, Diblasi RM.